Society profile: Pan-African Society

October is Black History Month in the UK, and the Queen Mary Pan-African Society has a number of events planned to which everyone is invited. We caught up with Rhoda Manu, President of the Pan-African Society to find out more about the events that they will be holding during October and beyond, why the society was founded and how you can get involved.

8 October 2018

Please give us an introduction to the Pan-African Society and why it was founded

The Pan-African Society aims to bring together people who are both passionate about Pan-Africanism and eager to learn more about Africa, its history and the African Diaspora. It was founded as a way to promote knowledge, confidence and to aid ourselves in decolonising our minds and the institutions around us. We want to create a space where members of the Pan-African Society can form friendships with people who share the same interests, and understand the journey we are all on to free ourselves from the negative narratives we’ve listened to for too long.

Marcus Garvey argued: "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." With that in mind we decided to start the Pan-African Society in order to offer a more comprehensive and truthful version of African history.

What kind of events do you normally hold during the year?

Throughout the year we have a range of different events. We will be hosting debates, analysing intellectual thoughts of Pan-Africanists in books and films, go on field trips to exhibitions and collaborate with other societies.

It’s Black History Month in the UK this October – do you have any events planned and how can we get involved?

During Black History Month we are having a 'meet and greet', a film screening and discussion on the award winning film Moonlight in collaboration with the African & Caribbean Society (ACS), and a 'show and tell'. To top off Black History Month with a bang, we are having a party at Drapers Lounge called ‘The Revolution’, where students can unwind, chill out and show off their talents at an open mic intermission.

If you would like to be involved in our events you can purchase a membership for just £3 which will give you free/discounted entrance to events! You can also follow our social media pages (provided below) for live updates and information.

Do you have any exciting plans for the society in the coming year

Absolutely! We have many debates planned throughout the year ranging from topics on ‘How united is Africa?’ to ‘What does decolonisation look like?’. We'll be hosting our Black History Month party ‘The Revolution’ as mentioned before, as well as socials, field trips, and book and film clubs (focusing on scholars like Frantz Fanon and Kwame Nkrumah).

How can people get in touch with you if they want to learn more and be part of the society?

First of all, they can email us at qmpanafricansoc@outlook.com if they have any queries. They can also follow our snapchat: QMPanafrican, our Twitter: QMPanAfricanSoc, or Instagram: QM_PanAfrican.